To Atone in Domino
by Timeless Breath
Summary: Malik returns to Domino looking for a new life, but instead finds the desire to atone for what he's done. Can he still make friends and live a life he deems himself unworthy of? Yami Marik makes a comeback though! Possible abuse. You request pairings!
1. The first apologyDefault Chapter

I'm Sorry 

Disclaimer: I own nothing! I wish I owned Marik's body, but that's a different story.

This story kinda began when a few of my friends noted how apologetic I was, even if I had nothing to be sorry about Really. I'll be in gym class, get hit in the face with a med ball and while I'm crying my eyes out, apologize to everyone.

Anyways…it led to deep thought **nod nod**

Enjoy! I haven't written on here in a while …so review please…no flames please! I'm just getting back into the groove of fanfic XD

Oh yeah: heres the story

Marik: You talk too much

Timeless Breath: I'M SO SORRY

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_You have one new message._

_First unheard message:_

"_Hey Marik, it's Yugi, just wanted to know if you wanted to do something today. Call me back, okay?"_

_To delete this message: press seven._

Not wasting a second, a tanned digit pressed the number seven on his phone, snapping the sleek silver device closed. The two plastic halves made a violent sound as they slammed against each other, the metal cool and silent in his hand.

This was the fourth message that day, that perfect Saturday in Domino City.

The azure sky beamed brightly down on the residents, the sunshine blared outside, and people smiled; their teeth as sharp as knives.

Such expression of comfort…such…belonging, was a knife to him.

Marik sighed and let his head drop into his hands, his fingers woven in his exotic blonde hair.

"What was I thinking, coming back here?"

The odd sound that silence made swept around him, wrapping his still form in whispers of wind that glided in through the open window, doors creaking somewhere, wind chimes from the apartments across the street tinkled and clanged against each other noisily.

Marik got up from sitting on his bed and slammed the window closed, gritting his teeth. Why was everything so damn noisy here in Japan?

Egypt was quiet…old…unchanging…here everything was in a hurry. Even the clouds seemed to hasten their pace across the sky.

He sighed and straightened his jeans and black T-shirt, deciding to go out for a bit.

There had to be SOMEPLACE in this damned city that wasn't so loud.

Exiting his apartment building, Marik ran his fingers through his hair, the well-groomed locks caressing his hands as his lilac eyes surveyed early afternoon in Domino.

A little girl drawing in chalk on the sidewalk: loud. The chalk scraping against the pavement was worse than nails on a chalkboard.

An ugly couple holding hands, walking down the street: tacky and loud.

A teen with hair so ridiculous it would've frightened his yami to death and back again, laughing with his blonde friend as they chatted incessantly about something: deafening. His hands threatened to rip out his perfect locks as he furrowed his brow and shut his eyes in annoyance. So damn loud!

Suddenly, they stopped. Marik pried one lavender eye open in disbelief and saw the aforementioned noisy duo staring straight at him.

"Marik…is that you? Are you alright?" the hobbit with the tri-colored hair asked, walking closer to him.

_No! Stay away! _

"I tried calling earlier, did you get my messages?"

He wrenched speech from dry lips in a response, his own voice sounding foreign to him.

"Yes."

Yugi cocked his head to the side, his eyes almost seeming to see through Marik's form.

"We were actually just gonna come by to see if you were alright…"

Marik raised an eyebrow.

"You…were worried just because I didn't return your calls?"

Yugi looked hurt, while Joey stepped in front of him.

"Look, we were just worried, no reason to be a jerk about it!"

Marik stared blankly at them, the words curling into the air like smoke from his mouth as he spoke words he felt that he needed to repeat until his tongue fell out, a cursed mantra,

"I'm…sorry."


	2. Not AloneFirst Temptation

I'm Sorry 

Temptation One: Are you?

-grins sheepishly- I kinda had the Yamis stick around after the series was over, separate bodies and such. I know it didn't happen or anything, but it's more fun:D

Disclaimer: I own nothinnngg…I wish I owned---

Malik: **clobbers** Save it!

Me: Oh I will…

Atem: Hey, when do I get my cameo?

Me: I don't really know actually…

Atem: Well, that's dumb

Me: You are the one who is dumb!

"Huh? No its okay, Joey calm down!" Yugi waves his hands in front of his face apologetically and Joey stepped back from his almost fighting stance, fists clenched, sleeves rolled up in preparation to shed blood. He scratched his head and grinned sheepishly at the Egyptian who a few seconds ago, he had looked like he wanted to pummel.

"Yeah sorry about that, no hard feelings right man?"

A smile carved its way slowly onto Malik's tanned features, the expression almost painful to bear. Why was he smiling at these people? He should be on his knees, begging for forgiveness. But what was he supposed to say? 'Sorry for possessing your friends and trying to kill you, oh and by the way sorry for trying to take over the world, sending your friends to the Shadow Realm….etc etc'? But he didn't say that, he didn't grovel, he didn't burst into tears, he didn't beg for punishment he so deserved….no, instead, he said:

"…No, it's fine."

Yugi smiled, the fool. What idiot befriends one of their worst enemies? Next thing he knew, he'd be inviting Bakura and him over to watch Steel Magnolias.

"Oh, by the way, I think Bakura's meeting us at the pizza joint, Ryou's dragging him along."

For the love of Ra.

"Want to tag along?"

Malik simply shrugged, waiting for them to leave when Joey slapped his palm hard on his shoulder, surprising him. He threw his arm around Malik's shoulders and pulled him close in a friendly [if one could call it that headlock.

"C'mon man! I'll treat ya, I owe you for all those falafels back in Egypt, don't I?"

Malik looked up at him, confused.

"You do?"

"Um…maybe I shouldn't have reminded you."

Malik smiled, genuinely this time. Maybe he could delay his groveling for a bit, the other's seemed to have forgotten for now.

He felt…warm. Accepted, wanted. Maybe it was a ploy. Maybe they were going to beat him up in an alley or something…he wouldn't put it past Joey. Well… if they were planning something, they were doing a damn good job of hiding it.

He relaxed slightly as Joey released his hold on the teen and punched him playfully on the shoulder. The hell with it, if he was going to get ambushed, he'd like to get ambushed with a smile.

He had it coming, he knew. He would enjoy these few moments, the sun on his face, walking down the smooth streets with two kids who wanted him around. Maybe secretly wanted him dead, but there was still want in the thought.

Want. Desire. Yearning. For death, for finality, for forgiveness…what was he doing here anyways? In this loud place, so far away from the dunes of home…searching for forgiveness, trying to..what was the word?

A smile cracked his lips as he laughed at one of Joey's crude jokes.

_To atone._

Ah, that was it.

The pizza joint Joey had been raving about was a small place that smelled of tomato sauce and grease, the booths small and cramped, their seats the color of rust. Salt and pepper shakers dotted the white tables, napkins piled neatly on their sides.

It was…quaint.

Malik spotted a certain snowy haired thief in one of the booths, his almost-twin hikari blabbing his ear off about something or other.

"Bakura!" Malik waved at him and got a glare that could melt eyeballs in return.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Tomb Keeper."

"Same to you, Bakura"

Ryou waved enthusiastically and scooted over to allow the Tomb Keeper somewhere to sit while Joey and Yugi placed their orders at the counter up front.

"How have you been, Malik?" the hikari asked, leaning over the table to greet him. Malik shrunk back a bit, Ryou's odd behavior somewhat scaring him. The kid was cute to the core, but ever so creepy.

"Erm..fine, really." He responded, shrinking into his seat as Bakura smirked across the table from him, obviously enjoying watching him squirm.

"Why did you come back here anyways?" the thief threw him an accusing look, his chestnut eyes searching Malik's violet orbs for an answer.

"Well, I wanted to start over, I thought I could go back to scho—"

"Liar," Bakura cut him off, grinning horribly. Malik had thought his cover story would work, but he hadn't counted on the yami being in their company.

"Look at you, it doesn't take a genius. Your energy is weak, pitiful. Your presence is almost as weak as my hikari's here."

"Hey!" Ryou objected, only to be ignored by Bakura who was currently making Malik wishing the Shadow Realm would swallow him up.

"You didn't think…that if you came back, crawling on your hands and knees, they'd let you back in? Accept you? What did you do, come here seeking _forgiveness?_"

Bakura spat the last word as if it were a piece of moldy food in his mouth and then bust into maniacal laughter. "You aren't really sorry, are you? God you are PITIFUL! What would Marik say if he were here?"

Suddenly a sharp pain spread throughout his forehead, it felt like his head was slowly imploding. He doubled over and grabbed his hair, Bakura's laughter still ringing through the resteraunt.

_Yes, Malik, what would I say? Well, we really don't need to guess. You can just ask me._

Malik stood suddenly, his eyes wide and resembling that of a startled doe.

"Hes…you're…"

_That's right baby, I'm back. Miss me? _


	3. Chapter 3 Can't go back to kansas

Chapter Three: You Can't Go Back To Kansas 

**Disclaimer/Warning: ** There's violence..language…stuff like that….

I don't own Yu-gi-oh! But I envy the bastards that do… they probably have Malik body pillows and sheets and plushies….

**Author's Note: **Sorry if Marik is a bit OOC!

I'm basically bringing the Yami's back [I'm bringin Yami back…sings, Atem will be popping his pointy head up soon, yup yup!

**To My Lovely Reviewers: **Ya'll are so kind! I'm having doubts about this story, but I'll continue it because you guys are so nice!

Malik doubled over in his plastic seat, clutching at his head as searing pain made its way across his scalp, invisible hands applying pressure to his skull.

The pain made a crescendo, and then ebbed slowly, leaving the Egyptian gasping for breath, nails digging into his palms.

He looked up slowly to see Ryou talking to him…well more like talking _at _him…his lips were moving, but no sound came out of his mouth. Bakura looked on, slightly amused by Malik's pain as his hikari got out of his seat and moved to touch Malik lightly on the shoulder, only to get a vicious backhand for his trouble.

He had hit Ryou. He would never hit Ryou. It was the equivalent of hitting a woman.

Even if the kid was incredibly annoying and immature and…so weak…..so vulnerable.

The red mark on his alabaster flesh screamed at Malik, the Briton's lips moving again, tears forming in his big caramel doe eyes.

_[Oh, you liked that, didn't you?_

"Shut up…shut up…"

[_Maybe you could do it again, teach the brat a lesson, maybe it'd get him to shut up for a bit…you'd like that, hikari. I know you would._

"Shut up shut up shut UP!"

There was no sound in the restaurant anymore, everything moving sluggishly in time, the images degrading, becoming fuzzy and warped in his violet eyes.

No sound except the booming voice of Marik, which seemed to come from absolutely everywhere…but was impossible.

That sound was coming from NOWHERE.

Marik had been destroyed.

In a panicked state, Malik fled the eatery, rushing down the streets of Domino as if he was running for his life, his legs carrying him far away from the whining and whimpering Ryou, far away from a life he didn't deserve, and back to his apartment where he was relieved to see Ishizu's note on the refrigerator, stating that she wouldn't be home until late that evening.

[I like it when you run, hikari. Because no matter what you're running from, or where you think you're running to…

He ran into his bedroom, slammed the door and collapsed on the purple rug, exhausted from the events of his very short day.

He shivered, his eyes starting to flutter closed as he gradually relaxed, his breathing and heart rate regulating and slowing down. He was done running. That's what he came back to Domino to do…stop running. And he would…make new friends…and all would….be……..right.

As Malik slowly fell into a deep sleep, Marik watched from inside his closet, pushing the door open so he could step into full view. His copper muscles bulged underneath a tight black undershirt, his khaki cargo pants were slightly wrinkled, not that he cared.

All Marik cared about was getting back into his hikari's mind, poisoning the boy until he would give in and relinquish full control of his body to him, as he should have before he got some bitchy Pharaoh to step in and banish him.

The smirk on his chiseled features grew to an outright smile as he imagined all the things he would put the poor boy through in order to take back what was rightfully his.

"Oh yes, I like it when you run, hikari. Because no matter what you're running from, or where you think you're running to…you always end up running straight back to me."

**A/N: **My chapters are a bit short, but I'm having a bit of trouble with this fic, I'll try harder I PROMISSEEE. I just have to get the plot straightened out…


End file.
